Those who wanted their health coverage to begin on January 1, 2014 had been told to enroll by Monday, December 23. On Monday, the administration said that applicants would have until Tuesday, December 24.

“Anticipating high demand and the fact that consumers may be enrolling from multiple time zones, we have taken steps to make sure that those who select a plan through tomorrow will get coverage for Jan 1,” a spokeswoman from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services told CNN.

Applicants will still have until December 31 to pay their first month’s premium.

About the Author

Scott Eric Kaufman is the proprietor of the AV Club's Internet Film School and, in addition to Raw Story, also writes for Lawyers, Guns & Money. He earned a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of California, Irvine in 2008.